This trip flew by so quickly, that I was not able to post while on the trip. There was so much to see and do, it was all I could do to stay awake long enough at night to keep up with biochemistry lectures. Our days were filled with nonstop sightseeing and educational experiences. Now, I have the opportunity to relive the trip by going through my pictures and detailed notes.
Key Moment of the Day will be one moment from each day that stands out to me as I think back. Some may be good; some may be bad; some will be “wow” moments; some will only be meaningful to me personally; some will just be sensory or emotional impressions.
Day 1: May 7
I had the brilliant idea to take the day flight so I could get a good night’s sleep at the hotel. Sadly, it did not happen. I only managed about four hours of sleep, but at least it was in a real bed.
When I arrived at the hotel shuttle stop, I was glad that I had planned out the transfer meticulously. I ended up helping several other people, including fellow Americans, understand the shuttle schedule. One man was completely mystified by 24-hour time.
Key Moment of the Day: collapsing into the chair in my hotel room at the end of my long journey with cheddar onion crisps and ibuprofen
Day 2: May 8
My classmates were friendly and welcoming. No one seemed perturbed by the age gap. I hope I can give some of my fellow students an example that even though our choices in life are important, there are opportunities to change course later.
I had lunch with two of my classmates at a nearby quick-service chicken place. They had vegan wings. I was surprised to see that the soda machines only had zero sugar options. Later in the trip, it was a recurring theme that most restaurants had ample vegetarian options and most sodas had at least some sucralose, even non-diet sodas. One thing I missed during the trip was the lack of unsweetened iced tea, which is usually my go-to beverage for lunch and dinner.
I had a stroll through Brunswick Square Gardens. This was mildly amusing because the name reminded me of Brunswick Square Mall in NJ. Then, I went to the Charles Dickens Museum.*
Charles Dickens
The Charles Dickens museum was a great example of a house museum done well. They had excerpts from the books playing, and a good audio tour. My favorite part was his study. They also had a temporary exhibit showing different illustrations of the Pickwick Papers.
I was an avid reader of Victorian classics growing up, and I think I learned much of my vocabulary from Dickens. Dombey & Son has what is still one of my favorite openings to a novel. It was a bit surreal being in London where Dickens once lived.
I got a snack and was able to call Tom from the pleasant outdoor café.
Orientation
Our orientation was fun. We met our faculty leaders and our tour coordinator for the England portion of the trip. We also did some ice-breakers and got our room assignments. The hostel was adequate, but could have been cleaner. (No, we did not stay at the St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel.) That night, we had a big group dinner at a local restaurant, Tuttons. I had pea and mint ravioli.
Key Moment of the Day: eating a cookie with lemonade in Charles Dickens’s back garden
Day 3: May 9
Having a first name that starts with an “A” brought its usual consequences. I was one of the first scribes for our trip. I wrote most of my notes in my Rocketbook.
LSH&TM Tour
We had a tour and student panel at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. The building was an interesting blend of old and new design. Disease vectors such as mosquitos and ticks adorned the exterior, as well as the names of influential scientists. We saw some of the awards for research at the school, the teaching labs, library, and heard about John Snow, who was one of the early pioneers of public health.
The student panel was a chance for me to think about what it would be like going to grad school in another country. I am still not sure what my future plans are, but hearing directly from grad students was valuable.
In Between Places
During our lunch break, our tour coordinator took us to Spitalfields Market. I had an amazing halloumi skewer with couscous from a Greek stall. The weather was perfect. For dessert, I tried matcha ice cream. It won’t replace chocolate as my favorite, but it wasn’t bad.
On our travels walking through London, our guide showed us the Kindertransport memorial. The Kindertransport was an effort to save children from Jewish families in Europe by sending them to the United Kingdom as the Nazis rose to power.
We also saw the site of the original Bethlehem Hospital, which is the origin of the word “bedlam,” and learned about Sir Robert Peel, who founded the Metropolitan Police, the origin of the nickname for a police officer in London, “bobby.”
The Making of Thoroughly Modern Medicine Tour
One thing I appreciated about this tour was the fact that we were taken through the history of medicine chronologically rather than a jumble of various dates and events.
The medicinal garden at the Royal College of Physicians was fascinating, and it smelled amazing. However, it was the site of a mass allergy attack in our group. I did not stop sneezing and coughing for an hour or two.
Our tour guide enthralled us with stories throughout the history of medicine. One particularly interesting story was of Dr. James Miranda Barry, who was an accomplished surgeon in charge of military hospitals. At Dr. Barry’s death, it was discovered that he had been born female.
We ended the tour learning about Henry Wellcome and the Wellcome Trust. The influence the Trust had in making the human genome available publicly before any private companies could patent it was especially intriguing. It made me think about the ethics of using scientific research as a purely profitable enterprise and the arenas of research in which I would want to make a contribution.
British Library
One of my classmates and I went to the British Library that evening. The Treasure Gallery is a dream come true for book lovers (especially lovers of old books).
One highlight for me was music composed by Benjamin Britten, whose works I have sung in my time as a member of choral groups.
Key Moment of the Day: seeing Mervyn Peake’s manuscript of Gormenghast, one of my favorite novels, at the British Library.
The Gormenghast trilogy is a strange work. It is not run-of-the-mill fantasy. The main pull for me is the eccentric characters, which you can see clearly in the sketch of the Prunesquallor siblings. Peake’s language in describing them is just as vivid.
Notes
The image in the header actually is from May 12. It was my favorite selfie from London, so it seemed appropriate to kick of this series of posts.
* The details of the Dickens museum were added to this post on July 30, after the initial publish date.